Frangible pipe floor flange receptacle

ABSTRACT

AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE COMPRISING A PIPE FLOOR FLANGE RECEPTACLE FOR FORMING A CAVITY AROUND PIPES THAT ARE TO BE USED AS PLUMBING IN A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE HAVING A CONCRETE SLAB FLOOR. THE RECEPTACLE SERVES A DUAL ROLE, I.E., PROVIDES A PREFORMED CAVITY AROUND THE PIPE ENABLING INSERTION OF FLOOR FLANGES AFTER THE CONCRETE IS POURED AND CURED AND PROVIDES A RECEPTACLE, FOR THE FLOOR FLANGE, HAVING UNIFORMLY SMOOTH SIDES. THE RECEPTACLE IS PREFERABLY MADE OF A FRANGIBLE, PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT WILL WITHSTAND THE PRESSURE OF THE POURED CONCRETE AND YET CAN BE EASILY BROKEN TO PROVIDE ACESS FOR INSERTION FOR THE FLOOR FLANGE.

R. J. MUNN March 9, 1971 FLANGIBLE PIPE FLOOR FLANGE RECEPTACLF] Filed May 11, 1967 FIG. 3.

FIG. I.

INVENTOR.

ROBERT J. MUNN BY W i ATTORNEY FIG. 2.

United States Patent 3,568,382 FRANGIBLE PIPE FLOOR FLANGE RECEPTACLE Robert J. Munn, P.O. Box 216, Zachary, La. 70791 Filed May 11, 1967, Ser. No. 637,778 Int. Cl. E04b 1/41 US. CI. 52-99 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An article of manufacture comprising a pipe floor flange receptacle for forming a cavity around pipes that are to be used as plumbing in a building or structure having a concrete slab floor. The receptacle serves a dual role, i.e., provides a preformed cavity around the pipe enabling insertion of floor flanges after the concrete is poured and cured and provides a receptacle, for the floor flange, having uniformly smooth sides. The receptacle is preferably made of a frangible, plastic material that will withstand the pressure of the poured concrete and yet can be easily broken to provide access for insertion for the floor flange.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to a device for preforming a cavity around plumbing that extends above poured concrete slabs, the cavity being necessary for receiving floor flanges that are placed around the plumbing pipes.

7 Description of the prior art This present practice in the plumbing art, when placing floor flanges around pipes that protrude from concrete slabs, is to hammer and chisel a cavity for receiving the floor flanges. As a result, there is normally added considerable expense in the construction of new structures that have concrete slabs for flooring. Many attempts have been made to solve this time-consuming problem, such as, using rags, cardboard, and the like, placed around the pipe. None of these methods have met with success, due to the difliculty of removing them after the concrete is cured or due to their collapsability when pressure is applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a novel article of manufacture that overcomes the above problem and reduces considerably the time and expense of forming cavities around pipes that protrude from concrete slabs. In accordance with the present invention, the article of manufacture comprises a ring-type collar formed of a frangible material, said collar including a pair of opposed faces substantially parallel to the axis of said collar, the innermost face being slightly longer than the outermost face, and having the two faces connected by members extending perpendicular from the ends of said outer face, the upper ends of the two faces being thus joined, and the lower member intersecting the inner face slightly above the bottom thereof, thereby forming a cavity for receiving a floor flange when the top of the collar is broken after the collar is set in place around a pipe and the slab concrete is poured and cured.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention will be understood from the above description when considered in combination with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a floor flange receptacle embodying my invention, shown placed on a pipe;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the floor flange receptacle of FIG. 1, shown placed on a pipe; and

3,568,382 Patented Mar. 9, 1971 FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

The floor flange receptacle illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 consists generally of an integrally formed ring-type collar 10 which forms an internal cavity 12 and has a downwardly protruding extension 10a of the inner face of collar 10, all of which is best illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the collar 10 is positioned on a pipe 11 in such a manner that protrusion 10a extends downwardly from the top of pipe 11. Protrusion 10a provides a means of securing the collar 10 to pipe 11, which may be accomplished by wrapping tape, or the like, around the protrusion 10a. When collar 10 is thus secured to pipe 11, concrete can be poured to form a slab and the collar 10 will then provide a uniform space around pipe 11, as well as, a receptacle for receiving a floor flange placed around pipe 11.

After the concrete is cured, the top portion of collar 10 may be broken out and the floor flange fitted around the pipe 11. FIG. 1 illustrates the uniform dimensions of the collar 10 in the embodiment shown thereat. However, the collar 10 may be formed easily to accommodate any shaped flange that is desired by a person employing the article of the present invention.

The collar is preferably made from a frangible material that is easily breakable and that will withstand the force of concrete pressing upon it when poured to form a slab. Generally, rigid thermoplastics are very acceptable for the present invention. Typical suitable thermoplastics are polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, as well as, suitable copolymers thereof. Suitable, also, are polyacetals, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) terpolymer, chlorinated polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Particularly preferred polymers are polystyrene and PVC.

In addition to the above, the polymers are also well suited for the present invention when they are in a state of reduced density, i.e., foamed.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many additional variations and embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope hereof. Accordingly it should be understood that the application is not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. A pipe floor flange receptacle for forming a cavity around said pipe when pouring concrete slabs, which comprises a ring-type collar formed of a frangible material, said collar including a pair of opposed faces substantially parallel to the axis of said collar, the innermost face being slightly longer than the outermost face, and having the two faces connected by members extending perpendicular from the ends of said outer face, the upper ends of the two faces being thus joined, and the lower member intersecting the inner face slightly above the, bottom thereof, thereby forming a cavity for receiving a floor flange when the top of the collar is broken after the concrete slab is poured and cured.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the frangible material is a polymeric resin.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the frangible material is a thermoplastic.

4. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the frangible material is polystyrene.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,147 5/1940 Gerriets 5299 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner 

